Method1. Preheat the oven to 180/gas 4. Butter the sides and base of a 24cm cake tin.

2. Place the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place them into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin. Spread the blueberries over the base and allow to chill in the fridge until needed.

3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour over the top of the blueberries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until pale golden and only wobbles slightly when you gently shake the tin.

4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle over a few blueberries, then dust with icing sugar.

5. Cut into slices to serve. This cheesecake is best eaten when it is at room temperature

Carrot cake

Ingredients

140ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

2 Eggs

200g light brown sugar

300g grated Carrots, (grated weight)

100g raisins

75g pecans or Walnuts, chopped (optional)

180g self-raising flour

1 pinch Salt

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

For the orange cream cheese icing

250g cream cheese, chilled

50g Butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

275g icing sugar, sifted

1 Orange, zest only

Method1. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2. Oil and line a 13 x 23cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2. For the carrot cake: beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts.

3. Sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon until well combined.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about five minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

6. For the icing: beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix until the icing is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out. Cut into slices to serve.

Baklava

Ingredients

For the baklava

300g shelled pistachio nuts, or almonds (or a mixture of both)

1.5 tsp ground Cinnamon

600g ready-made Filo pastry

125–150g Butter, melted

For the syrup

300 ml water

350g caster sugar

125ml clear Honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 Oranges, zest only

Method1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

2. For the baklava: grind the nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground, then mix in the ground cinnamon.

3. Using a soft pastry brush, lightly butter a 24 x 19cm ovenproof dish. Gently unfold the filo pastry, covering it immediately with a damp clean tea towel to stop it drying out and cracking.

4. Start layering the sheets of filo pastry into the dish, brushing each sheet with melted butter before placing the next layer on top. After six layers, scatter over one-third of the crushed nuts.

5. Repeat and add six more layers of filo pastry. Butter the top of the last layer and trim off any overlapping pastry with a sharp knife to create a neat edge. Cut into small 4-5cm diamonds, making sure the knife goes all the way to the bottom.

6. Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170C/gas 3 during cooking if the baklava looks as though it is browning too quickly.

7. For the syrup: place all the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by one-third. Stir occasionally, then leave to cool.

8. Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon half the cooked syrup all over the top. Leave for five minutes, then spoon over the remaining syrup. Allow the baklava to cool completely before removing the individual pieces from the dish with a palette knife. Serve.

Chocolate and vanilla marble cake

Ingredients

225g Butterr, at room temperature

225g caster sugar

4 Eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

225g plain flour

2 tsp Baking powder

50ml Milk

50g Cocao powder, sifted

Method1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter and flour the sides of a 20cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently to mix, then add the milk and mix gently to combine.

4. Tip half of the cake mixture into another large bowl and, into this bowl, fold in the sifted cocoa powder.

5. Place the cake mixtures into the prepared tin by alternating spoonfuls of the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter, then with a skewer or similar implement, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to ‘marblise’ it. Don’t overmix or you won’t have that wonderful marble effect. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool before serving.